Shannon Matthews' mother

[smurfchops]

Is she getting child benefits and all the other benefits allowed, for her children who live with their fathers ? What a mess.

[bednobs]

how would anyone knoow except her and the father?

[dot.hawkes]

I am not sure about that, but is the unearned income from the pending documentary screened tonight being declared to the benefits agency and taken into account?

[christina81]

I doubt it she wouldn't be allowed.Just because she is on benefits and has so many kids by different dads it doesn't mean she is a benefit cheat.

[Jillius]

Yeah, I bet she is ! Makes me sick.

[Jillius]

christina has a point actually. We all blame these lot on benefits but at the end of the day it's the stupid government that allows them to have everything for nowt.

[Ethel]

The parent whom the child lives with gets the benefit - so if the child is living with the father he will get it, not the mother.

[Ethel]

I see she is being condemned for claiming benefits she is not entitled to without a shred of evidence that she is!

[tboo]

She is of cause entitled to child benefit but I bet the benefit agency, (thats if she is on benefits) will want to know the value of her earnings from documentaries, I've heard in the region of �250k so I doubt it will be over looked
That woman from Bolton who appeared on Wife Swap got into trouble a few yrs ago for earning off the television

[dot.hawkes]

I have a right to give my opinion on the information gleaned from newspapers and other media sources, we are all allowed to make condeming remarks if we feel there is the slightest hint that someone is a chavy lowlife druggie scrounger or waste of space benefit fraudster

[meglet]

Out of curiosity, does anyone (and I'm thinking of Ethel) know after how long until child benefit payments would be stopped after a child has gone missing? For example, would it still being paid for Madeleine McCann?

[bednobs]

even millionaires are enttled to child benefit. it is not means tested

[christina81]

millionaires shouldn't be though

[B00]

dotty- Shannon's parent's weren't paid for tonights documentary (I only know that because they said so at the end)

[tufty7]

Whatever they are entitled to does not matter a jot , they get what they get , if you want to label them then thats your perogative to do so , i am however glad my mum installed into me the need to keep your home clean and take pride in where you live irrespective of what income /situation you may be in , a damp cloth cost's nothing to clean with .........

[persianlady]

Why does everyone assume that people who are on benefits are living in poverty. This is often not the case. They are often receiving more in benefits than they would earn if they worked. Particularly if they have a few children.
Thats why a lot of people will NOT work. it is the system we have got here that allows people to do this that is wrong. You only have to see the numbers of East Europeans coming here to do the work that the indigenous population will not do to know that something is wrong. Benefits should be reserved for people who are genuinely too ill to work and as a temporary stopgap between jobs. They should never have been allowed to become an alternative to working. I question the morality of people who are prepared to do this. I have no time for them. Every person who has children has a moral responsibility to provide for these children if they are able to .

[B00]

See what your saying tufty, and I have to admit I did wince when I saw the state of the house. but.....then again, 5 children in that smal house, can't be easy to clean up after 'em.

And as for them being poor- I dread to think how much that ginormous telly cost!